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Friday, 21 December 2012

I was searching for something inspiring. Something that would blow my mind away in a heartbeat. And I finally found it through the work of Janet Echelman.

I didn't know her until today, but I saw her work everyday I took a walk by the sea in the city I'm currently living in: Porto. Without knowing it. Today I discovered a little bit more about where I live. About its story. Today I feel connected with someone would also had been rejected, but found her way in the end. Which is successful and hadn't afraid of believing in herself. Who brings a little bit of joy and beauty to the urban place. A little bit of colour. A little bit of ancient. A little bit of life.

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

I woke up in the morning with a mug of hot coffee beside me, a sweet kiss and promises of eternity. It's like this every day, for almost ten years now, and I still don't know a better way to wake up.

However, for a long time, I wasted these first hours between sleepiness and awaking, between dreams and reality ...? Between the heat of sheets and the freshness of mind.

So many times I complained about the lack of inspiration, or having nothing to tell. Even when thoughts fought each other in order to have a bit of my attention. The constant fear of "losing my way" prevented me from facing the paper.

Many writers, famous or not, told me to write every day, when waking up. I, just now, decided to follow their advice, and, after three texts, I consider it to be an excellent practice.

Ideas jiggle around like popcorn, images arise spontaneously*. The unconscious invades my conscious part of the mind. I don't even need to think. Themes and approaches that in normal days (as if I had them) I do not remember pointing out are written in impermanent ink.

Patterns. It was the first word that I remembered when I look to my coffee. We seek them everywhere. In stars, in dregs of some drink, on the palms of every hand. And so we think we bring meaning to life. Wouldn't we'll be also usurping it, creating stereotypes? To what extent patterns even exist and to what extent can we analyze them? (Someone skilled in this matter please stand up.)

Is life pure mathematics? An organized chaos? How often will you need to test that A + B = C? Could we then live by formulas? Would self-help books become the next textbooks?

I never believed in absolute free will. We are always constrained by the books we read, the movies we envision, the music we listen to, the people around us, the places we attend, and by those other people we idolize. And even these may be indirectly chosen by us.

But I also do not trust in pre-determined solutions. In a world in black and white. At the boundary between right and wrong. If there is a formula, there is a god. And who does not want to be god?

* When you remember a story, do they also appear you in images? As if instead you had read them, it seemed you have seen a movie?Originally posted at pingos de tinta.

Friday, 7 December 2012

We live by strategies. By tutorials. How-to's and pseudo-profound quotes. The life we ​​live is really ours?

"Change your life in 59 seconds", "15 mandatory no-calorie food", "16 reasons not to have children," "Sex: what they want." This is the culture of pink magazines. This is what most women read. This is what they want to become.

Asimov was already talking about robots for some reason; sometimes we just seem machines waiting for instruction. No need to create intelligent computers that think for themselves. Because even the human species failed at this point.

But I was talking about strategies. Whenever I hear these words I remember of manipulation and war. Or is it adaptation? Update? Darwin? 孙武 (Sun Tzu)? Knowing what surrounds us? Asking ourselves? Evolve?

Since we were still half-egg-half-sperm (or even earlier) that we are fragments of fragments of fragments. I am the tail of a comet. A small portion of the nebula. I have lived in the primeval soup and conquered the sky in the form of lightning.

One day I will be just part trash, part nutritive-something. I'll contribute, perhaps, for the History of mankind, but the most important narrative will have yet to be told: the fears, dreams, phobias, victories, failures, the discovery.

I'll not become nothing, I, for so long, thought I'd be. I'll be everything. Each atom will travel through infinite times and spaces. I will return to be a falling star and fulfill thousands of wishes. I'll rest in the craters of the moon and, once again, will be seduced by the charms of the little blue planet.

Thursday, 6 December 2012

If they could wake up a little then they would realise they can feel enough love coming from the grass beneath their feet to last a lifetime! S. Park

Today I wrote my thoughts:

The cold shivers throughout the house. Not even a mug of hot chocolate is able to warm her. There isn't any heaters or fireplaces. The economic crisis has already attacked the bodies of the population. The soul, that one has never been free.

Between buying and throwing away, stayed the debt which will last a life to be paid. They all adorn themselves, thinking that beauty is happiness or that it wraps itself up in gold, bright paper. That one so arduous to find.

Like the ostrich, people stuck their heads inside the television. They felt so comfortable there, they can no longer leave. They were promised fame, instantaneous happiness. As instantaneous as the chocolate she was drinking. When what they mean was 'fragmented pleasure'. Brief. Priceless. But just because it has no value at all.

What do they know about happiness? It doesn't come in gleaming bars or frozen packages. Not even comes in books, but even if it were nobody would read them. The little they know about happiness is because they ignore the meaning of love.

Everyone is looking for adrenaline, for the flavour of the moment and sweeping sensations. But love is not the pounding heart, or butterflies in the stomach, or even the sudden sensation of heat. Love is not physicality.

To love is to understand life. It is to surrender to life. It is ceasing to be human and become nature. It is to stop being one to be everyone. To love is to learn how to die.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What was your biggest conquest? What’s your most treasured dream?

Hi! I’m Elly Ang, a Chinese girl who lives in the Philippines, and speaks better in English than in Chinese, but I try. Haha! I love art, and when I was in my first year in high school, I already knew that I’d be taking Multi-media Arts in college. A bit weird because I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid, but hey, dreams change.

My biggest conquest would be surviving arts and design college. I’m in my 3rd year now and to tell you the truth, I have competition, and there are a lot of people that are better than me. In some ways I surpass them, and in some ways they surpass me. But I still do my best and persevere. I can’t be good at everything but I have to keep trying.

My most treasured dream, next to being happy, is to work for Pixar Animation Studios someday. It’s a longtime dream of mine, and despite having a hard time in 3D and 2D animation, I’m willing to keep doing my best.

2. You did a wonderful project for school, combining photography and drawing. What did you learn along the process? And how long did it take from the draft until the final project?
Thank you! Actually, I did learn a lot of things, like when you shoot outside, the weather can’t be changed, you have to adjust to the weather, if it’s super sunny, you either wait (if you don’t have a choice because your photo will be overexposed) or you can adjust your camera. I also learned that big projects like that would take so much time and patience.

It took at least 4-5 days, the first day was coming up with an idea for my final project for photography class, and it counts as a big impact to my final grade. Then I saw the chalk photography in the Internet and I thought, why not? I pitched my concept to my professor and he approved it.

Then I talked to my sister to help me out, and then got two of our cousins to be the model. Thank god it was school break for everyone except me (because we have 3 semesters per school year). My sister helped me with the concept, she’s an artist also (except she’s an Interior Designer), we planned it out, printed some photos of Disney characters and such. Then we bought supplies, a lot of chalk and black poster papers.

First day of shoot was a failure, because the poster paper was too light so we had to tape it to the floor or the garage, the problem was that the wind would still pull it. It took so much time that we gave up after two scenes.

Second day of shooting was so much better; we used black illustration boards instead, which was heavier and better. We did six Disney ladies in one day.

Third day of shooting was a bit rushed, but we did great. We finished the four ladies and I finished the layout and editing, then immediately went to the printing place to print the book that I have to pass to my professor. He wanted it in a hardbound album type thing.

Anyway, I was prepared, so I have a back-up plan, because the first shooting day was a failure. But I always remind myself that anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong at some point, DOUBT everything and prepare.

If you want to see the behind the scenes photos of the shoot, you can visit my blog at: danger-in-design.

I’d say Mulan but that might be because she’s Chinese and I want a dragon. Haha! I think it would Alice (is she included in the Disney princesses?) in Alice In Wonderland, because she’s so curious in life and she has adventurous streak, and she doesn’t care what other people thinks.

4. Which tools do you use in your creative works? Which one do you feel more comfortable with?

I use a lot of things; I’m a Multi-media artist. I use a camera, a tablet, my laptop, and a whole lot of programs. I have to adjust to all of them so I’ll feel more comfortable, I can’t really choose because I have to learn all of them. It’s not just photography; I also do advertisements, covers, videos, and whatnot. Jack-of-all-trades, I guess.

5. Do you keep a notebook to register all your ideas? What could we find in there?

I don’t have a notebook or a planner that I keep my ideas in. I’m basically a scatterbrain. Haha! One time, I tried to keep a planner, I ended up writing for a few days and I suddenly stopped. I don’t know. I really just can’t keep a planner.

Usually, my ideas are written in stickies or whatever notepad or word file in my MacBook, sometimes I write them on scrap paper or my sketchbook, which I forget and lose. I have no hope for memos. When I’m desperate, I use Post-Its and slap it on my MacBook so I’ll remember it the next day. I guess some ideas just retain themselves in my brain.

6. What and when was the last movie you absolutely adored? What made you feel that way?

WRECK-IT RALPH. The last movie I watched and I ABSOLUTELY adore it. I don’t usually like some of Disney’s animated movies (except Tangled), but I really fell in love with this one. If you haven’t watched it, you definitely should.

Anyway, Wreck-It Ralph is a great movie because of its idea and plot, it’s simple but different, and I was never bored during movie, I also cried in some parts, and I rarely cry in animated films unless it’s a Pixar movie. Wreck-It Ralph is imaginative, funny, and definitely inspirational.

7. What was the bigger obstacle you had to surpass? How did it help in your future works?

The biggest obstacle that I've surpassed recently would be the Disney Ladies Chalk Photography. Because I have never been THAT diligent in my life. I started it early instead of cramming it and frankly, I really did find my passion in photography there. But I don’t see myself being a photographer in the future, but I definitely found out that I was good at it.

That experience helped me with my next photography class and it inspired me to do a lot better in my other works.

8. Are you a morning or a night person? Do you have a special time and place where you get more creative?

I’m a night person, definitely a night person. Because I schedule my classes during the night. Well, usually. Because I find it so hard to wake up in the morning. I’m totally a night owl. I usually feel really creative when I have inspiration, but that’s hard to come by when I’m doing so many things, so creative ideas get to me when I’m in my busiest mode or in my cramming mode.

Cramming is definitely a bad habit of mine, but during my desktop publishing class, I crammed most of my work and they were all great and I got the highest grades. The best ideas come to me when I’m under pressure. I should really work on getting over my procrastination. LOL.

This is a tough one. I’d say I’m calm. Because even if I have a deadline or I’m in a middle of a fight, I always remain calm. I don’t let emotions like anxiety or anger get the best of me. I don’t see the point in making a mountain out of a molehill when I can simply ignore it or find another way to overcome it.

10. If you could make a change in this world with your work, what would it be?

I've always wanted to make everyone smile or make them happy. That’s why my blog is full of happiness most of the time. And when I’m angry, I don’t show it to people because I believe that what emotion I show will affect people around me. You pass hate and they’ll pass it on to someone else. It’s a domino effect.

I would love my art to pass on happiness and inspiration. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet, but I would dedicate my work on making people pass on the happiness and inspiration that my work has pass on to them.

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

I wanted to write this post for so long but it was hard to find the mood. In the last weeks I've been in a dark zone, no sleeping, all worries and no job done. Today, it all seemed to go away. Like magic. Or a good night of sleep.

I'm reading Anaïs Nin diary for two weeks now (the first volume I mean; 6 to go yay!). I could have ended it like in two days, if I didn't lost myself in taking notes, copying excerpts of the book and finding myself in her words. I could be called Anaïs, you know? But in Portuguese the name isn't that beautiful and my mother changed her mind.

In some ways, I feel like I'm Anaïs. She's a feminist, a dreamer, a writer. She is sensitive and a sentimentalist. She loves beauty, she loves to love. She's more than one person, she has more than one life. She's a poet. She's paradoxical. She loves life. She lives second by second. She's afraid of her true nature and that others may not understand and love it.

Here are some of her thoughts I enjoyed reading. Only some because I have already 6 A5 pages worth of sharing.

Ordinary life does not interest me. I seek only the high moments. I am in accord with the surrealists, searching for the marvelous. I want to be a writer who reminds others that these moments exist; I want to prove that there is infinite space, infinite meaning, infinite dimension. But I am not always in what I call a state of grace. I have days of illuminations and fevers. I have days when the music in my head stops. Then I mend socks, prune trees, can fruits, polish furniture. But while I am doing this I feel I am not living.

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

My life is slowed up by thought and the need to understand what I am living.

We don’t have a language for the senses. Feelings are images, sensations are like musical sounds.

If you want to know more about her, or read more about her follow these:

Monday, 19 November 2012

This weekend I spent my time at home, enjoying a good book by Anaïs and watching a several array of inspiring films. I often say it's hard to find them, but I had good luck this time. France, Kenya, England, Turkey, China and Germany.

(the trailers are in their original language. I disdain copies. ;) )

(the second isn't that great)

~The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. Anaïs NinWhat's the last great movie you watched?

Friday, 16 November 2012

After a big delay, I present you a ironic, dark but very funny writer: SCFrankles. She's an UK girl after all! I want to thank her for having the patience to answer all my questions. Let's read her inspiring words:

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What was your biggest conquest?
What’s your most treasured

dream?

I've always enjoyed reading and
writing but I've only been writing fiction regularly for about six years. A
couple of years ago I entered my first writing competition and came third in my
category. It was just a small local contest but it was the first time I truly
thought of myself as being a writer. Psychologically it was a big step. I’m not
naturally outgoing but I felt able to stand up in front of an audience and read
my story out to them. Some months later one of my stories took first prize in another
local competition, which convinced me that the first time hadn't been a fluke.

I do sometimes wonder about
earning a living from writing, which would be wonderful, but I think that’s probably
unlikely.

2. What do you find more difficult to write: short-stories or six
word stories?

Short stories, definitely. I
appear to have a natural aptitude for six word stories and flash fiction. Rules
and restrictive word-counts inspire me. Writing a six word story feels like solving
a puzzle. I find it very satisfying.

The longest short story I've ever
written has only been 2,500 words long. My heart belongs to flash fiction but I
would like to be able to produce 5,000 word stories and novels too. It’s
something I’m going to have to work on.

I do use the same strategies for
writing, no matter how long the piece is. I turn ideas around in my head until
I can see what the shape of the story is – what the story should be. Then
there’s just the small problem of finding the right words… With six word stories it’s vital to make every
word count but I think that’s something you have to attempt with all literature
anyway. Obviously, the longer the story is, the longer on average it will take
to write, but I can spend several days even on a six word story. I sometimes do
research for six word stories too - I take them as seriously as longer pieces. I truly believe in the artistic worth of the
six word story.

Having said all that, some
stories – of every length - just pop
into my head almost completely fully formed. That’s the way the very best ones
generally come.

4. You have a dark humour, sometimes gore, sometimes surreal. Is it
something that born with you or that you had to work on?

My sense of humour has always
been there – I certainly have never consciously worked on it – but it’s
developed and got darker as I’ve got older. It’s probably the same for everyone
– in middle-age you suddenly understand the great universal joke and start using
humour to cope with life.

I do love comedy – I watch
sitcoms, sketch shows, films, read humorous fiction, listen to radio comedies.
Other people’s work inspires me to try and create my own. Not all my pieces are
humorous but I think I produce my best work when I’m trying to make people
laugh.

I don’t have a playlist as such
but a song I’ve been playing a lot recently is “Freewheel” by Duke Special – a
song about the joy of being alive, which actually does make me feel joyful and
positive.

I’m not terribly musical. I tend
to listen more to radio comedy programmes, both old and new: Round the Horne,
Take it From Here, Hancock’s Half Hour, The Random Jottings of Hinge and
Bracket, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, Cabin Pressure, John Finnemore’s Souvenir
Programme, That Mitchell and Webb Sound.

7. Do you have any writer or any other artist that gives you
motivation to improve yourself? Who is it?

Every good piece of writing I
come across motivates me to try harder and improve my own work, whether it’s by
an amateur or a professional; by a contemporary writer or a classic writer. I
do particularly admire the plays of Tom Stoppard. His talent and erudition are
astounding, and he also understands the importance of silly jokes. I could
never hope to reach his level of ability but you should always aim high.

8. What do you like more about writing? What’s the most challenging
part about it?

Well, it’s something I’m fairly good
at: it makes me feel intelligent. I love
that sensation of having started with nothing but now a story exists. I love
having readers – people who enjoy my work and tell me they’ve enjoyed it.

I would say the most challenging
part is getting started – coming up with ideas; finishing a first draft.

9. What is the most valuable lesson, in writing or in life, you had
the chance to learn?

What I’ve learned about writing
is to keep going. (Which applies to life too.) I’m constantly reading much
better work than mine and sometimes I think it’s pointless for me to continue.
However, though I know I’m not brilliant, I believe I do have some talent, and
writing (when it goes well) does give me a lot of pleasure. I think I am
improving bit by bit.

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

It's been a while since my last post. I wasn't counting to be away for so long. But I had an unexpected and warming visit from A., my Chinese friend which is currently studying at Portugal.

So, today, I'll talk about culture. Because her visit made me think about my life and my feelings towards others. Receiving a brand new culture in your home is not as easy as it seems. Because it's your home, your lifestyle and everything changes within a second. You start being questioned and you ask questions yourself. About you and about them. It's good.

It was a shock but it also was a turning point in my life. I never thought that receiving a friend at my home would have such an effect in me. I became more aware. Of what? I don't know, I still feel a bit confusing.

It's different when you travel. You go there, it's just yourself and an experience. You may change a bit, but your inner core is still there. You only see what you want, you only make the questions you want. You'll be fascinated by some things, feel awkward about others. But when you come back home everything is the same. You don't have to cope with that culture anymore. You go back to your old life.

Penpalling were one of the ways I found to know other cultures without leaving my room. I could travel by spending less of one euro each time until I could really put my feet out there. Now, I discovered a new way: receiving my penpals at my home, let them find their way into (the deepest of) my heart and change my world in just a couple of days.

I wanted to say much, much more. But I can't find the words. I'm still all emotion and I need to think about the last week more profoundly. I just want to thank A. for bringing her home to mine. ♥

Monday, 5 November 2012

[this was supposed to be published at 8 a.m. today. but it seems blogger has a problem with following rules.]

In The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, more precisely in his short-story Sleep, I read the following words:

The author maintained that human beings, by their very nature, are incapable of escaping from certain fixed idiosyncratic tendencies, both in their thought processes and in their physical movements.

I had to transcribe that to my Moleskine and add some notes beside it. I thought about the way I am and why I am like that. Who or what made me with these characteristics. Why am I shy and clumsy? Why do I like to read so much? Why am I never satisfied? Why do I have an interest about strategies but don’t seem to understand them? Why am I always seeking for perfection?

And can't I be other than myself? Am I stocked to the way I am until I die? Can't I do anything about it? It's scary, don't you think?

Both Murakami and Times of India talks about tendencies. We gather the world with our five senses and a part of it stays with us and shape us in ways we aren't aware of.

How you became the way you are is just a tendency that you developed because of the information you gathered. Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

It's a cycle, isn't it? You process the information this way because of your personality. And that information will change you, conscious and unconsciously, and the next piece of information you'll get will be perceived differently. What if we relived our whole life again? How will that change us?

How you became the way you are is just a tendency that you developed because of the information you gathered. The Times of India

This is the same thing in another words, black in white without the beauty of literary composition. A tendency. "So can we blame others by the way they look to the world? Can we blame ourselves for not being as cultural beings as we'd like or dumber than we wished it to be?", you might ask. Of course we can!

It doesn't matter what impressions you have gathered, what you make of it is in your hands. Times of India

We are critical beings. We can always rethink our actions and shape them. We have goals and we can work towards them. We can read more, travel more and communicate more.

I do believe that our core will never change, that we can change little things like be kinder or deal better with stress. In a sort of way, enhancing our qualities and hiding our peculiarities. Not that I think that we should conceal them (when we're not hurting anybody, if you were wondering). It’s what makes us unique.

I’ll make an experience. It may sound stupid, but it’s me finding myself so what do I care what others think about it? I’ll record myself doing the things I do every day. The ones I don’t even have to think about. Whom are (almost) automatic. The ones I could even do with my eyes closed. And then do everything over, exactly like that: with eyes wide shut.

Clumsy as I am, maybe I’ll screw everything up and my analysis will go straight up to the can. (Well, at least I’ll try. Good excuse, ah?) But… maybe if someone joined me at this experiment… will you give it a try?

This is my inspiration of the week. No cute photographs, no amazing art works, no relaxation. It's Monday, the weekend is over and we better be prepared for the rest of the week. Your energy is now restores so you better do something useful today. Because tomorrow it will all be drained. Inspirations should lead to action. I'm doing the tough part. You better do yours! ;)

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

These last days I've been working on a cover for a friend's poetry book, Rogério Prado Mendonça. It is entitled "Sobre o Amor e Outras Coisas Amargas", which in English is something like "About Love and Other Bitter Stuff". A series of sad and touching poems, which, I believe, everyone will address to.

Here's a sample of his work:

Suddenly she moves,then all things become silenceWe hear only the music of their muscles,the battery of her heartthe song for her stepsWhile she dances every gesture she makes is a kiss and a slap,each gesture is joy and sadness,each gesture is love and indifference (but mostly love)When she dances the perfection of her body defies the gravity,and the gravity surrendersWhen she dances her gestures and her smile are cathedrals,cathedrals suspended in movement and beautyWhile she dances her eyes shed darkness and stars on the audience,and her hair, taken by the movement, shoots galaxies into the voidSuddenly the music stops,Suddenly the movement stopsThe audience suffers for a moment with the end of the movement,then bursts into applauseShe smiles a powerful smile and then leaves the scene,taking with her all those hearts

Monday, 22 October 2012

I don't know about you, but here, winter came for good. Yes, winter. So I might get used to the cold and rainy days that awaits me. Apart from the headaches, I don't mind this weather. I used to, but what harm a little water can do?

Here are some warming outfits by Alix, the girl behind The Cherry Blossom Girl to inspire you up until the sun makes his appearance. I'm ashamed to say this, but I only found her today! (I'm going to look inside her closet now, see you later!)

Thursday, 11 October 2012

- The Crazy Series!

My dear dreamers,

I had this idea to spice up my inner-view section. It's being a lot of fun to know a little bit more the persons I admire and which inspires me. However, I want to take one more step in these stairs I'm walking and do a series with Crazy Inner-views. Anyone interested can join, just send an e-mail to: innerview[dot]designingdream[at]gmail[dot]com.

Questions will be:

♠ a little more personal (but not too personal ;))

♦ will involve deep thinking (but it always do ^^)

♣ you'll have to think outside the box (so it's a challenge!)

And I answered the questions myself! Take a look:

1. Sell me an invisible pen.

Imagine the pen of your dreams. Now imagine I'm selling it to you.

2. What are three positive character traits you don't have?

1 - I'm always right.2 - I never ask for advice.3 - I'm perfect.

3. If you were a genie and a person asked you this wish, “I wish you would not grant me this wish” what would you do?

I would say: "I didn't, now you have two wishes left".

4. If you had to lose one of your five senses, which would you choose?

Taste. I'd still have the chance to imagine it by smelling. Why not the other way around? Because my memories are very related to smell.

5. If there was a next life, would you reincarnate in yourself? Why?

Yes, I don't know how to be anyone else, maybe I would screw them.

6. If you could have only 3 electrical appliances in your house, what would they be and why?

8. What's your first memory?

It's one of the best memories I have and (yes!) it's a smell memory! I remember when I was on kindergarten and in the afternoons, right after lunch, we slept in a kind of an attic, with our favourite teddy and the mattress smelled like naphthalene I didn't know that at the time and it was a nice smell to me because it was attached to a good moment. I only realized what naphthalene smelled like some years ago (3 or 4!).

The other one (happened at almost the same time so I don't know which is the first one) is also a smell memory: at the age of 3 I was trying to help my father taking the car off the garage. He didn't notice me so one of my fingers got pinched on the garage's door. I don't remember much of that, just the situation on itself, no pain is in my memory. That only comes later. My finger lost some meat and I went several times to RED CROSS to make the bandages. I remember that it hurted a lot. The all place smelled like ethylene. As I spent a big part of my time there, that smell also makes a good impression on me in spite of not being the best of my memories (but it's also not a bad one).

9. If you had the chance to be a you-version of the opposite sex for one day what would you do?

I would examine how my brain&heart works and see if there's much of a difference with the actual me.

10. And for the last one: If there was no wolf, which one of the 3 little pigs would you be?

I'd be Willie, the wood one. I'd like to live in an eco-friendly house and with some comfort.